The Baldwin Hills Conservancy honors Val Zavala, V. P. of News and Public Affairs at KCET, and anchor for KCET's signature series, Life & Times, for shining the spotlight on the Baldwin Hills, one big park project, and the renaissance of the Ballona Creek. Her efforts to help educate and inform the public about our park are a key part of the park's ongoing success.

Recently, Val Zavala honored us with this interview following a segment she did featuring the Baldwin Hills one big park plan and the Ballona Creek. 

[Interviewer] Val, would you please summarize for us your view on the importance of access to parks and open spaces for urban families and our youth? [Val Zavala] Parks and open spaces are wonderful community assets. Especially for children who are land locked in the inner-city. Some of these kids can go years without ever going to the beach. Educational programs about nature provided in parks and open spaces are an important way to open up kids' horizons. 

[Interviewer] Did you have access to parks and open spaces, growing up as a child? If so, what were some of the activities or sports that you enjoyed as kid? [Val Zavala] When I was a kid growing up in Riverside, one of my favorite things that we always did was to head down to a place we called the river bottom which was a little creek in Riverside. I loved to swim there. Then of course, I have very vivid and fond memories of going to Fairmont Park in Riverside and playing around the band shell and the swings. The river bottom and Fairmont Park were a regular part of my childhood. I did my share of camping growing up as well. I grew up with an appreciation for the outdoors and visits to National Parks. These experiences and access to the great outdoors shaped my appreciation for nature and the outdoors.

[Interviewer] Do you think parks and open spaces had a part in forming the person that you are today? [Val Zavala] Definitely. If I had to picture my life without that I think my life would have been terribly impoverished. I remember when I was a kid, going to Girl Scout camp for a week. It was so exciting and refreshing to get away from suburban life. I can't image what my childhood would be like without those experiences and they definitely influenced my view of the world today.

[Interviewer] Has Life and Times covered other issues or progress with State parks and open spaces in the past? If so, can you please elaborate on your coverage? Which parks, beaches, and open spaces? [Val Zavala] We cover issues all over Southern California whenever there are open space controversies. The most recent one that we did was in North Orange County and Fullerton. It is the last big section of open space that is being debated in the area. Some developers want to put homes there and some people want to keep, and restore the natural habitat. We've done stories about the Audubon Society's outreach efforts to inner-city kids, and much more. Val Zavala and Life and Times have covered many noteworthy stories to educate the community about nature, parks, and open spaces. The transcripts are all featured at http://www.kcet.com/lifeandtimes/ and include stories such as Urban Hiking (7-11-03), Wildlife Preserve (8-1-03), Audubon Center (11-12-03), Fullerton Open Space, Coyote Hills (1-5-04), and the Catalina Island Foxes (3-4-04).

[Interviewer] Do you spend much time in the outdoors now? [Val Zavala] Not nearly as much time as I would like to with my busy schedule. I do try to get a hike in, gardening, and bike rides as often as possible. 

[Interviewer] What are some of your favorite places? [Val Zavala] I really like walking up to the Verdugo Hills area. There was a big effort to save this area and the City of Glendale purchased the space. There is some great hiking up there. You can go to the top and you can see 360 degrees down to the ocean and all around Glendale. I want to, and have yet to, explore Emerald Park. Eton canyon is really lovely too. 

[Interviewer] The one big park plan is a collective dream, largely supported by the surrounding community as evidenced by record attendance and testimony at numerous public hearings. Given the diverse interests, of various stakeholders, elected officials, and the community, in the parks surrounding areas, how important do you think media coverage is for completion of the park? [Val Zavala] It is pretty important. This is a very large project and, directly or indirectly, it is going to effect probably a million or more people. Land use is not the kind of issue that gets the needed attention from regular commercial television. 

[Interviewer] The Baldwin Hills one big park plan is being developed on the last potential urban site, in park poor Los Angeles, where there is 1 park bench for every 10,000 people. As you are aware, the one big park plan includes, an amphitheater, sculpture gardens, botanical gardens, one of the best views in Los Angeles, and world class golf course and tennis courts. Once the park is completed, what will it be like for you to walk through this magnificent park, with your family and close friends, and say or have them know that through your journalistic coverage of the park plan, you had a hand in making this a park a reality? [Val Zavala] If I were walking through the park with my nieces and nephews, I would certainly say "I remember when we did a story on this sometime ago." I truly appreciate what a major accomplishment it would be to get a project of this magnitude through with all the agencies, and bureaucracies, and what not. It would certainly be fun to do that. 

[Interviewer] What are the weekly number of people that see the Life and Times show in Los Angeles? [Val Zavala] About 75,000 households see Life and Times show each night.

[Interviewer] Any final thoughts? [Val Zavala] Heaven knows, we need this Park.